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1. Introduction

PROBLEMS OF THE TESTING LABORATORIES IN BULGARIA AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT UP-TO-NOW WITHIN INCOLAB PROJECT FOR THEIR SOLVING Tenjo Petrov, Ilia Marinov TL-HEA, Varna, EA”T&C”. 1. Introduction

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1. Introduction

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  1. PROBLEMS OF THE TESTING LABORATORIES IN BULGARIA AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT UP-TO-NOW WITHIN INCOLAB PROJECT FOR THEIR SOLVINGTenjo Petrov, Ilia MarinovTL-HEA, Varna, EA”T&C” Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  2. 1. Introduction The written standards in the Republic ofBulgaria were mandatory till 1992 and they required type examination of the householdappliances produced in thecountryeach twoyears. The import of such appliances waspreceded by testing of samples in laboratories in the country. Since 1992 the principle of voluntary standards had been adopted which for most producers and importers meant disinterestedness in the checks proving safety of the electrical appliances. As a result the number and scope of the tests decreased considerably. This problem led to a narrowing of the testing laboratories’ activities or even to the closing of some of them. The market was flooded by household electrical appliances that did not meet the safety requirements. 2. Implementation of the European directive on electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits The EU Directive on electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (known as LVD and adopted in 1973) was implemented in the Republic of Bulgaria by the Ordinance on the essential requirements and conformity assessment of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits, adopted by Decree № 182 of the Council of Ministers on 06.07.2001. The Ordinance was adopted by virtue of article 7, paragraph 1 of the Law on technical requirements to products and came into force on 06.01.2003 (18 months after its publication in State Gazette, is. 62/2001). Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  3. The adoption of this Ordinance was preceded by the adoption of an Ordinance on marking for conformity to the essential requirements to products (Decree № 164 of theCouncil of Ministers of 03.08.2000, published in SG is. 66/2000). 2.1. Transitional period of the Ordinance implementation The envisaged transitional period of 18 months supposed the preparation of producers, importers, testing laboratories and market surveillance authorities for providing conditions for the Ordinance implementation. The above mentioned institutions responsible for the implementation of the Ordinance used this period in different ways: • The importers reacted with a delay driven by the inertia during this transitional period as well as due to the lack of control over the market • Some producers started the preparation of the technical documentation of produced by them appliances according to the requirements • The testing laboratories kept the nature of their activities and the equipment and they re-arranged their quality systems according to ISO/IEC 17025 • The market surveillance authorities strengthened their structures and their knowledge on the harmonized standards within the scope of the Ordinance. 2.2.Coming into force of the Ordinance The reviving of the testing laboratories began with the Ordinance’s coming into force in January 2003. The Ordinance on the conditions and procedure for carrying out market surveillance, adopted by Decree №110 of the Council of Ministers on 20.05.2003 and published in State Gazette is. 49/2003, changed the attitude of the producers and importers to the conformity assessment of electrical appliances against the essential requirements. Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  4. 3.Problems of the testing laboratories in Bulgaria 3.1.The implementation of EN ISO/IEC 17025, due to its additional requirements to EN45001 in the field of calibration, causes the following problems that lead to a raise of the costs on up- keeping of the testing laboratory activities: • New costs for calibration outside laboratory • Costs for carrying out calibration in the laboratory (providing conditions, preparation of methods, purchase and calibration of measurement standards and measuring equipment) • Respecting the requirements for planned and periodical carrying out of intermediate checks of the measurement standards and measuring equipment • Unsatisfied requirements of the testing laboratories regarding the calibration of measuring instruments in some specified values of given quantities (current < 2 mA/50Hz and 10А/50Hz and power for currents >10А/50Hz respectively) • Prolonged calibration periods of some types of measuring equipment due to lack of accredited laboratories that leads to the availability of only one laboratory (DG “NCM”, SAMTS) for calibration of stopwatches, watt meters and electrical energy meters • Necessity of developing methods for measurement uncertainty evaluation • Implementation of methods for measurement uncertainty evaluation in quantitative testing • Unacceptable statute of DG “NCM” regarding traceability according to the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) due to the fact that DG “NCM” is not a signatory on BIPM MRA (This is a curious situation as DG “NCM” is a part of SAMTS that is signatory on BIPM MRA itself). 3.2.The improvement of the products offered on the market causes the following problem: • The tests require a permanent improvement of the equipment or its replacement with a new one which again leads to the problems mentioned above. Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  5. 3.3.The implementation of the European standards causes the following problems: • Language barrier complicating the use of standards in testing due to the adoption of the European standards as Bulgarian by confirmation (in English) • Lack of discussions concerning the testing methods • Lack of accessible information on the validity period of existing standards. 4.Contribution of the activities carried out up-to-now within the INCOLAB projectThe activities carried out within the INCOLAB project up-to-now were aimed at identifying and solving problems of the testing laboratories by exchanging information and practices, carrying out different types of training (according to prepared in advance programs with participation of Bulgarian experts) as well as by carrying out inter-laboratory comparison testing. 4.1. Participation of Bulgarian experts in training organized by the laboratory to the Electro-technical faculty of the University of Ljubljana. The training was carried out in May 2004 and Bulgarian, Estonian and Czech experts participated in it. The training program covered topics concerning: • Calibration of temperature measurement equipment • Traceability of calibrated measuring equipment to the national measurement standard • Validation of technical devices and software • Economic aspects resulting from the reduction of measurement uncertainty values. The participants in the training were acquainted with the national measurement standards for temperature realized on the basis of triple points of several chemical elements in specified temperature points. Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  6. Testing on heating of a fan heater was carried out according to point 11 of EN 60336-2-30. During the tests a computerized system for measuring the temperature rises in particular points of the walls and floor of the black test corner was demonstrated. A discussion on the preparation of the forthcoming inter-laboratory comparison testing in the laboratories of the countries, involved in the INCOLAB project, was organized. 4.2.Participation of Bulgarian experts in training organized in testing and certification laboratory (TCL, Velenie, Slovenia, May 2004) The laboratory TCL is accredited and notified within the scope of household electrical appliances. A testing on heating of a cooking range with glass-ceramic hob surface according to EN60335-2-6 was carried out.   The training program included methods for calibration of measuring instruments, intermediate checks of working measurement standards and selection of suppliers of measuring equipment. The discussion carried out was aimed at unifying the interpretation of and the approach to certain testing methods: • Method for testing of fan heaters at abnormal operation according to EN60335-2-30 ·Method for testing on heating of kitchen machines according to point 11 of EN60335-2-14 in case of great difference between the measured and declared input power ·Method for testing of storage water heaters according to point 19.2 of EN60335-2-21. 4.3. Participation of TL-HEA – Varna in the inter-laboratory comparison testing planned within the INCOLAB project The objectives of the testing are to compare the realization of the measurements performed in a black test corner and the methods for measurement uncertainty evaluation in the laboratories of the countries-participants in the INCOLAB project. Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  7. Three testing samples were supplied: sample A, B and a temperature artifact (standard). The methods for testing A and B were according to point 11 of EN 60335-1 and EN 60335-2-9. The temperature artifact was tested according to a program supplied by the pilot laboratory (UNI/FE-LMK). The sample A was tested in a starry course scheme but the sample B was tested in circular course scheme. The deadline for the inter-laboratory comparison testing is April 2005. SAMPLE ASAMPLE B ARTIFACT Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  8. The following information was provided for each sample: • Protocols including information according to the procedures of each testing laboratory • Detailed description of the tests carried out • List of the equipment used • Calibration status of the equipment used and calibration certificates • The uncertainty components forming the total uncertainty of measurement • Photos of the sample before, during and after the tests • Heating curves in particular points of the samples. 5.Conclusion 5.1.The project INCOLAB supports the testing laboratories in their efforts to solvethe problems related to: • Collection of information on equipment modernization • Development of methods for measurement uncertainty evaluation • Implementation of methods for uncertainty evaluation in quantitative tests • Organization of discussions regarding the test methods (TL-HEA made a proposal for establishing an Internet forum in the INCOLAB site for interactive discussions) • Providing accessible information for validity period of existing written standards. (TL-HEA made a proposal for developing a database of the implemented in Bulgaria European standards within the scope of LVD that shall provide such information.) • Organization of discussions on the unification of interpretation and approach to certain test methods • Laboratory competence (supported by organizing inter-laboratory comparison testing) Conference-December 2004,Sofia

  9. 6. Proposal for topics of discussion: • LVD implementation – a function of the quality of market surveillance activities • Announcing in public of the reasons for dangerous performance of the electrical appliances – a criterion for LVD implementation Conference-December 2004,Sofia

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